


more one than two

by punk_rock_yuppie



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Background WebLena, F/M, Family Feels, Flirting, Fluff, Gen, Get together fic, Hugging, Injury, Misunderstandings, Pining, Post Moonvasion, love and support, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22819786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_rock_yuppie/pseuds/punk_rock_yuppie
Summary: It’s pretty clear to the Duck boys: mom and Penumbra are dating.Duh.
Relationships: Della Duck/Penumbra
Comments: 6
Kudos: 135





	more one than two

**Author's Note:**

> so I rewatched the series and after my third time watching Moonvasion, I realized how funny would it be if the Duck boys assumed Penny and Della were dating? and here we are, with a brief side helping of weblena. also, the misnaming of Della's ship is intentional, because I feel like with so many people around, and with Della still calling it Cloudslayer and LP still calling it Sunchaser, the name is gonna get mangled all the time, haha. 
> 
> thanks to hannah for beta'ing, as always! 
> 
> enjoy!

When they land, Huey, Dewey, and Louie watch as their mother throws herself at Penumbra. Penumbra startles back for a second but, after a moment, wraps her arms around Della as well. Dewey looks at Louie who looks at Huey, who watches his mom and Penumbra hug for...quite a while. Even as other people celebrate and cheer around them, it’s like Della and Penumbra are in their own little world.

The ride back to Earth had been quick, urgent, with no time for introductions. It’s no surprise when the hug finally breaks that Della says, loud enough that the boys hear, “I want you to meet my family, Penny.” 

Huey finally looks at his brothers, a look of confusion on his face. 

Louie asks slowly, “Do you think...Mom and Penny…?”

“No way! It’s been ages! Mom said herself that she hadn’t been able to reach her, there’s no way they were dating,” Dewey insists. 

“But,” Huey says, “they could’ve started dating on the moon and maybe mom just assumed they were still dating? If they didn’t break up before she left, why would she think they stopped dating?”

“Because Penny was on the MOON?” Dewey says loudly.

“She was!” Della says as she and Penny get closer. “Penny, these are my boys, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.” She points to each of them with their names, beaming. Penny stares at them, eyes alien and narrowed in suspicion.

“Hello,” Penumbra says slowly, uncertainly, like she’s testing the words in her mouth, “Huey, Dewey, and Louie.”

The boys chorus greetings of their own, and immediately Louie starts to ask, “So, are you and my mom--?”

“We’re best friends!” Della proclaims proudly. She slings an arm around Penny’s shoulders and brings her in for a hug. “Right, Penny?”

Penny takes a moment to respond, seemingly too caught up in staring at Della. “Right, Della.”

“C’mon, you’ve gotta meet everyone else. Bye boys!” Della takes Penny’s hand and tugs her away with a wave. 

The boys watch her go, all with differing expressions. Louie with a smug grin, Huey with continued confusion, and Louie with something that might be a kind of terror. 

“So, I bet ten bucks that they’re dating,” Louie says.

“You don’t even _have_ ten bucks!” Huey snaps.

“I will when I win the bet.” Louie shrugs, already triumphant, and walks away.

* * *

Penumbra moves into the manor. She tries to insist on returning to the moon but, well…

“All your people are here!” Della isn’t shouting exactly, but it’s pretty close. “There’s nothing left for you on the moon!”

“There’s my home! All my things!” Penny shouts back.

Huey looks at Scrooge who’s clearly pretending not to listen as he sips his tea and eats his scone. Donald keeps glancing at the door to the hallway where Della and Penny are arguing, but he makes no move to interrupt. Beakley is like Scrooge, deliberately ignoring it, although Dewey catches her looking toward the voices every now and then. Webby, meanwhile, hasn’t stopped staring since Della and Penumbra stormed out. 

“Should we...stop them?” Webby asks eventually. 

“You didn’t care about things when you were flying straight into an engine!” Della shouts, interrupting anyone who might’ve answered. “And if you really want them that badly, we’ll take the ship and get them, and bring them back! There’s no way you’re getting all your moon people back there.”

“I won’t know if I don’t try.”

After that, the half-shouting becomes murmurs, too soft to be heard. Dewey looks at his brothers, stricken, but neither of them seem quite as concerned. Webby looks ready to leap out of her seat and press her ear to the door when Della and Penny come striding back in. 

They--and everyone else in the dining room--are silent as Della and Penny take their seats. There’s a charged, tense moment...before Penumbra picks up a fork and starts to poke at her pancakes. After that, it’s like a dam has broken on conversation and everything is back to normal. 

Dewey catches Huey’s and Louie’s eyes--Louie makes a ‘gimme’ gesture then mimes tucking money into his wallet, whereas Huey is taking notes in a notebook. Dewey jerks his head towards their mom and Huey points urgently at her. When Dewey looks over, he nearly chokes on his tongue. 

His mom is grinning at Penumbra, and Penumbra is grinning back. It’s tender and sweet and--

“Gross!” Dewey shouts, causing all eyes to turn to him.

Della’s head whips around to look at him. “Dewey, is something wrong?” 

Huey kicks him under the table and Dewey bites his tongue. Muffled, Dewey says, “nope, nothing’s wrong, everything’s totally cool.” 

Della stares at him for a second before breaking into a grin. “Oh, good.” 

* * *

“What is this...holiday?” Penumbra asks as she peers at the red, pink, and white decorations spread around the manor. She’s walking with the boys down to the foyer, and clearly someone was busy overnight. Whether it was Duckworth, Beakley, or (most likely) Webby, no one’s really sure. 

“Valentine’s Day!” Webby says, barreling out of her room. “It’s a day to give gifts to the ones you love! Like friends and family and boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever!”

“Or...whatever?” 

Webby nods but before she can elaborate, Della comes skidding around the corner.

“Morning kids! Morning Penny!” She drops a kiss to each of her son’s heads, ruffles Webby’s hair, and then shoots Penny a grin. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” they all chorus back, even Penny, though she still sounds a little confused. 

“What do you have there, Webby?” Della asks as they start walking again. She points to the large pink paper heart clutched in Webby’s grasp. “Gonna give someone special a valentine?”

Huey, Dewey, and Louie all snicker as their mom draws out the last word, teasing and sing-song. 

“Yeah, Webby,” Dewey says, “who’s the lucky duck?” 

Webby splutters and holds the valentine closer to her chest. “No one!” Then, “No one you know!” 

Huey shares a look with his brothers. “Is it maybe...Lena?” 

Webby blushes and squeals before hurrying ahead of the rest. “No!” She hollers as she runs, “It’s not Lena!”

“Who’s Lena?” Penny asks. 

“Our friend,” Louie replies, “Webby is definitely in love with her.”

“So...she’s going to give Lena a...valentine?” 

“Yep!” Della replies. “Speaking of…” 

Huey trips over his feet and his brothers trip over him, sending them rolling over the rug and ending in a pile. He shoves up the bill of his hat just in time to watch his mom pull something from an inner pocket of her jacket and pass it to Penny.

Her skin may be purple, and she might be from the moon, but Huey is pretty sure that’s a _blush_ on Penumbra’s cheeks. She takes the valentine with a shaking hand. Huey and the boys have tumbled far enough down the hall that he can’t quite make out what the gift is, but he thinks it might be a treat and a card.

“Oh,” he hears Penny say, “I didn’t get you anything.” 

“That’s okay,” Della says brightly, entirely honest. “I didn’t expect you to. I just...wanted to get you something.”

“Oh,” Penny says again, softer. “Thank you, Della.”

“You’re welcome.” Della turns to the heap of her sons. “What are you guys up to? C’mon! We’re gonna miss the next adventure!” 

* * *

“Your mother’s going to be fine,” Beakley’s saying right as Penumbra bursts into the bedroom. 

Huey, Dewey, and Louie all swivel their heads to look at her. “Penny!” They shout in unison.

“What happened? I saw that the Cloudchaser was smoking, was there a crash?” Penny hurries into the room and squeezes herself in between Scrooge and Webby. She reaches for one of Della’s hands where it sits limp on the bed.

“The Cloudslayer is always smoking,” Scrooge says with a glance in Launchpad’s direction, where he sits at the foot of the bed. “But no, Della wasnae hurt on the ship. She took a tumble off a slight cliff, hit her head. Shouldnae be more than a concussion, she’ll be up in a few hours. Right, Beakley?”

“Right,” she says with a nod. “Perhaps we can let her rest, hm? Launchpad, why don’t you get started on repairing the Sunchaser?

“Yes ma’am!” Launchpad shouts, voice wavering a little. Dewey frowns--he knows Launchpad feels like Della’s injury was his fault, even though he wasn’t even near the cliff when it happened. Launchpad hurries out of the room and there’s a chorus of thudding footsteps as he goes.

“Webbigail,” Beakley says next, “come along, help me start dinner.” 

Webby opens her mouth as if she’s going to protest but Dewey shakes his head at her, and her beak shuts with a _click_. “Okay, grandma,” Webby says instead, even taking Beakley’s hand as they leave. 

“I should call Donald,” Scrooge says, “he’ll want to know how the trip went, anyway.” Scrooge nods at each of them before taking his leave.

That leaves the boys alone in the room with their sleeping mom and Penumbra, who may or may not be their mom’s girlfriend. 

“She’s going to be okay?” Penumbra asks in a low voice. 

Huey speaks first, urgently, “Totally! We get concussions all the time! It’s fine, super fine. The Junior Woodchuck Guidebook says as long as we keep it under three in a year, it’s probably fine.”

Penumbra blinks at Huey, and Dewey watches as Louie leans in. “What my brother is trying to say is that mom will be fine, there’s no need to worry.”

As if on cue, Della groans and shifts in the bed. She winces, her eyes never opening, and her hand in Penny’s flexes, twists to link their fingers. The boys watch as Penny stares at their hands.

“We’re gonna go,” Louie says, already shoving at his brothers. “You keep an eye on her, okay, Penny? Just holler if you need something.”

Penumbra looks up slowly. She swallows. “Okay, Louie,” she says quietly. Then, she looks at Della again, and doesn’t look away even as the boys back out of the room and close the door.

“So,” Huey drawls as they stand in the hallway, “I think we owe Louie ten bucks.”

“Totally,” Louie says, puffing his chest out slightly. “They’re totally dating, and they’re totally in love.” 

Dewey stares at the door. “Why hasn’t mom told us?” His voice is quiet and a little shaky. “Does she think we’d not like Penny?”

“Maybe she’s just assuming we already know?” Huey says, tapping a pencil against his chin--Louie’s not even sure where the pencil came from. “Or maybe she’s waiting for a special occasion? Like an anniversary, or a birthday…?”

“If mom makes it a birthday present for us, I’m leaving the family,” Louie says. 

Huey rolls his eyes. “We just have to wait for her to tell us. I’m sure she has her reasons.”

Dewey still looks nervous but after another glance at the door, he nods. “Okay. Guess we owe you ten bucks, Louie.”

“Wait,” Huey interjects, “is it ten bucks each, or ten bucks total?”

“Ten bucks each, duh,” Louie replies as he holds out his hand, waggling his fingers expectantly. 

Huey and Dewey groan.

“C’mon,” says Huey, “I have to go get my piggy bank.”

* * *

“Boys?” Their mom’s voice is quiet and careful, just like her knock on the door. It’s so unlike the usual atmosphere of the house--that is, bursting into any room without care--that all three brothers shoot each other concerned looks. They’re already awake and dressed but they hadn’t made a move to head down to breakfast quite yet.

“Come in,” Huey finally says. 

Della closes the door behind her after she slips inside. “Hey, boys, can we talk?” She asks. 

“Of course, mom!” The boys chorus together. 

They all cram onto the bottom bunk together, and Della knees in front of them. She reaches out and they wrap their hands with hers. She squeezes briefly before exhaling slowly.

“Is everything okay?” Dewey asks. 

“Everything’s fine!” Della exclaims. “Everything is absolutely, one hundred percent fine, I promise.”

Silence fills the room after Della’s outburst, eventually only interrupted by Louie’s stomach rumbling. 

“Mom,” Louie says, “are you sure?” He rubs at his stomach a little pointedly, and glances at the door. Huey elbows him but Louie only elbows him back.

“Sorry, sorry,” Della says, drawing attention back to her, “I guess I just don’t know how to say this.” 

“Whatever it is,” Dewey says with a sideways look at his brothers, who nod back at him, “it’ll be fine.” 

Della smiles. “I know things have been crazy...pretty much since I got home, and I know we don’t always talk about everything...gosh, I didn’t think this would be so hard.”

“Mom…?” Huey asks. 

“Penny and I are...dating.” Della says it all in a stilting rush, which shouldn’t really be possible, but the boys understand it anyway. 

Louie’s already grinning triumphantly even though he collected his twenty bucks weeks ago. Huey elbows him again before grinning at their mom, and Dewey smiles at her too.

“It’s okay, mom,” Dewey says. 

Huey adds, “We already knew.”

Della blinks, taken aback. “What?” She asks as she leans forward. “You already _knew_?” 

“Well,” Louie says, drawing out the word far longer than he needs to, “I knew. These two didn’t believe it until we saw Penny react to you getting a concussion.”

“I was pretty sure since Valentine’s day,” Huey interrupts, “but I was collecting more evidence to be sure.” 

“Sure,” Louie says mockingly, “totally.” 

“But…” Della looks between all three of her sons, gaze flipping rapidly from one to the next to the next. “Penny and I didn’t start dating until _after_ my concussion.”

“Wait, what?” Louie asks. “No way.”

“I knew it!” Dewey says. “I knew you two weren’t dating before that!”

“You didn’t _know_ ,” Louie snaps.

“Neither did you!” Huey and Dewey shout together.

“Boys, boys, calm down.” Della squeezes their hands again to get their attention. “I’m being totally honest here. Penny and I didn’t start dating until after my concussion. The first thing she said to me when I woke up was that she loved me, and we’ve just...been seeing where things go.” 

“But, the hug, after we moon invasion!” Louie says. Almost an accusation, but more like a desperate kid who doesn’t want to lose his twenty bucks. 

“I was grateful she was alive and that she saved us! I really thought for a second there that we weren’t going to make it!” 

“What about arguing to get her to stay on Earth?” Huey asks suspiciously. 

“She’s my best friend, of course I’d rather have her here than on the flipping moon. And everything I said was true, she would’ve been lonely up there.” 

“And the Valentine’s gift?” Dewey asks. “You got her a present.”

“Well, yeah!” Now, Della’s cheeks pink slightly. “You get friends valentine’s gifts, it’s not that weird.”

Together, the boys chorus, _“Mom,”_ in their best, most unimpressed tone. 

“Okay, I’m not denying I had _feelings_ for Penny for a while. But we really have only been dating a few weeks.”

Huey nods. “Okay, well, that’s still cool.” He looks at Louie and says, “You owe us our twenty bucks back, by the way.”

“But I was still right!” 

“Doesn’t matter, the bet was that they were _already_ together, and you were wrong.” Dewey extends his hand and makes the same ‘gimme’ gesture as Louie had, weeks ago. “Cough up, brother dear.” 

Louie groans and fishes his wallet out of his sweatshirt pocket. “I was still right. This is so unfair.”

It isn’t until money is back in the right hands that the boys realize their mom has been staring at them this whole time, gobsmacked. 

“You boys are so…” Della trails off before shaking her head with a laugh, “so ridiculous.” 

Huey laughs first, then he’s joined by Dewey and, eventually, Louie. Della laughs too before pulling the boys in for a hug that turns into a series of noogies. After the laughter dies down, the boys end up half on the floor with their mom, partially in her lap. 

“You boys are really okay with it?” Della asks quietly as she strokes Louie’s head, an arm around Dewey with Huey on her legs. “With me and Penny?”

“Of course!” Huey says, at the same time Louie hums in agreement and Dewey gives a lazy thumbs-up. “We’ve been okay with it for a while.”

“As long as you’re happy,” Dewey adds.

“Besides, Penny seems pretty cool,” Louie says with a shrug. 

Della smiles. “She’s pretty much the coolest.” 

“Nah,” the boys say together, “that’s definitely you.”


End file.
